Integrated Parking Management

We need to better manage our parking resources. Parking is not free. Residents, businesses and visitors pay indirectly through higher taxes, higher rents, and increased costs of goods and services.

Traditional approaches to parking management aimed for abundant and free parking at each destination, and costs for parking are incorporated into building and development costs and subsidized by governments through taxes. However, providing and requiring too much parking is as harmful to community goals as too little. New proposed strategies focus less on an ever-increasing supply of parking space, and rather seek to use facilities more efficiently.

A parking study was conducted 2016 with a focus on the Town Centre, to view the study pdf
click here
(7.36 MB). In June of 2018, Council adopted an Integrated Parking Management Plan, which can be found pdf
here
(2.24 MB). The plan was developed with input from stakeholder groups in the community.

Goals

Provide the right mix of parking options to meet the needs of residents, visitors, workers, and shoppers

Ensure high use parking areas are not exceeding capacity during peak season days on a regular basis

Focus on using parking facilities efficiently, not simply providing more parking space which comes with a cost

Current Situation

A parking study was undertaken in 2016 with a focus on the Town Centre to provide data on parking usage and a general overview of the problems we are facing around parking. To view the full study pdf
click here
(7.36 MB). Despite many initiatives geared towards easing parking in the past few years, problems still persist. The parking study highlighted that parking is presently unavailable at peak times and in certain locations in the Town Centre. This results in people hunting for convenient parking and contributing to congestion at the busiest traffic times. Without improved parking management practices, these problems will worsen. Parking comes at a significant cost, and uses up most of our available space in the Town Centre. During off-peak business hours – roughly 88% of the time, parking is underutilized.

Some key findings from the parking study include:

parking utilization currently exceeds the 80-85% threshold in high use areas for approximately 21% of business hours during peak season days.

when considering the entire parking stock, the overall stock is not over-utilized

parking is under-utilized when considering all business hours

approximately 85% of open space in the Town centre is used for vehicle lanes, laneways, private & public parking, and signage/traffic signals

a lack of people parking space (walking, dwelling and social connection)

Over the past two years many initiatives have been completed to help improve the parking situation, some of these include:

Local transit implementation, doubled frequency of regional transit;

Improve connectivity for people who choose to walk and cycle:

Bow Valley Trail CPR Crossing Improvements

Spring Creek Drive Complete Street Improvements

End of trip facilities – 200 bicycle parking stalls in and around Town Centre, bicycle maintenance stands installed

We will be assessing private and public lands for the suitability of intercept parking in 2020, and the scope of work includes developing a preliminary design for an 80-stall parking lot and 20 stall RV lot adjacent to the current parking area at Elevation Place and on a combination of Provincial and Municipal land. The designs will be used to determine project feasibility and costs and to pursue approvals for lease amendments from the Province of Alberta that would allow for potential future construction.

Background

The following is a summary of actions that were taken in the development of the Integrated Parking Management Plan.

Action

Date

Downtown Parking Workshop w/Downtown BIA

June 2015

Open House - Public w/targeted invites to businesses

April 2016

Series (5) of parking working group workshops w/BIA, BOWDA, Chamber, CHLA, TCK

2017-2019

Public Open House - Integrated Parking Management Plan

April 2018

Council Approval of Integrated Parking Management Plan for planning purposes